Aces split second day of Racer Classic

MURRAY, Ky. – In day two of the Racer Classic, the University of Evansville softball team split games against Kent State and Oakland. The Purple Aces fell to Kent State by a 6-3 final in game one before earning a 9-6 triumph over Oakland on Saturday evening.

“I thought we pitched really well in both games today,” UE head coach Mat Mundell said. “We were able to really execute offensively in the second game. We have been waiting for our offense to turn the corner, hopefully that was it.”

Highlighting game one was a 3-run home run by Morgan Florey, which gave the Aces (7-15) the lead before KSU rallied back. In game two, the offense erupted for nine runs with the difference being a 4-run sixth inning.

Evansville fell behind by a 2-0 score in game one to Kent State. The Golden Flashes plated a pair of runs in the opening frame. UE starter Emily Lockhart kept Kent State off balance and the offense was able to take advantage in the top half of the fifth.

Elyse Hickey hit a 1-out single before Brittany Hay was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Morgan Florey came to the plate and delivered her second home run in as many weekends to put Evansville on top for the first time at 3-2.

The lead was short-lived, however, as KSU added two runs in both the 5th and 6th frames to finish the contest with a 6-3 victory. Pacing their offense was Emily Dobbin, who went 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Evansville racked up eight hits with Florey picking up three and Hickey notching two.

Florey took the ball in game two versus Oakland and got the job done in the circle and at the plate. She kept the Golden Grizzlies off the board over the first three innings while her offense took a 2-0 lead. Allison Daggett led the bottom of the third off with a single before Eryn Gould was hit by a pitch. With one out, Florey came to the plate and delivered an RBI double to center to score Daggett. Gould would later score on an error.

After Oakland tied it up with a pair of runs in the fourth, the Aces struck back with two more in the bottom of the frame. Lindsay Renneisen led off with a single and scored the go-ahead run on a double by Ashleigh Downing. Downing came home on a 2-out single from Gould.

Another run scored in the fifth when Renneisen’s second hit of the day brought home Brittany Hay, who reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning. Evansville put the icing on the cake with four runs in the sixth. Two came off the bat of Hay, who hit a 2-run single before McKenzie Johnson notched a 2-run double to give UE a 9-3 lead. Oakland rallied in the seventh with three runs, but Florey was able to close out the 9-6 win.

UE notched nine runs on ten hits in the game with Gould, Johnson and Renneisen posting two apiece. Daggett, Hay and Gould each recorded two runs. Florey threw all seven innings in the start on the way to her fourth win of the season.